Pretty Old Things
by Currently an Anti-Realist
Summary: I don't exactly know how to summerize it without giving spoilers, so I'm just going to give you the main people and idea. Grell (maybe some Will Grell cuteness), Elizabeth, Undertaker, OC's will be present, Sebastian, Ciel. (Not in specific order of importance) This is Modern day Black Butler, but everything has happened. So characters will be a bit OOC.
1. Chapter 1

_"How did your written exam go?"_

_"Wonderful! I got an A average!"_

_"I expected as much my dear."_

_"My test is in a month... could you train me?"_

_A wide smile graced his features and he nodded. "I would be honored..."_

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

_She cried over the body of the child, not watching when the man across from her sighed and stabbed him through the stomach._

_"I always knew there was a reason only men got accepted into the program..." _

_She immediately stopped and glared at him. Only men. She was a woman, did that make her weaker than the rest? Just because she didn't like watching this child die before her eyes._

_So when the strips of film started flowing out of the wound, tying up the unprepared reaper trainee, she watched him struggle and cry out._

_"Don't just stand there! Help me!"_

_She tilted her head and sighed. "I would, but I am a woman. And only men get accepted in the program..."_

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

_"The first woman reaper... You will forever go down in the history books."_

_A small protest could be heard from the back of the crowd by a red head, stating 'she' was the first woman._

_"State your full name. You can change it if you'd like, but this is the name you will live with forever."_

_She opened her mouth to give her usual response, but stopped. _I could be someone else..._ "...Ethel... Ethel Crevan..."_

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

_"I've got to say kid, you're good. I might just ask William to make us partners! Us ladies have to stick together."_

_She smiled at the transgender, mock curtsying even though she wasn't wearing a dress. It was very hard to spar in one. "Thank you Grell. I would be honored to be your partner."_

_"It's settled then. Grell and Ethel! The first woman reaper team!"_

_She shook his hand and laughed. "Sutcliff and Crevan. The _only_ woman reaper team."_

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

_"Let me see it! Let me see it!" Grell jumped up and down as she opened the sleek black box that held her reaper weapon._

_"Alright!" She took a deep breath and only hoped she didn't get something bad. She saw someone who was forced to carry around a shovel as their reaper weapon, and they practically had to bludgeon the cinematic records out of people._

_She pulled out the sleek pitch black swords, stunned to silence at the craftsmanship. They fit her perfectly, and were amazingly light. If you looked close enough, you could see the small barbed vines wrapping around the piece, making every angle deadly as the next._

_"They... are... PERFECT! They are just so you!"_

_And she knew, Grell was right._

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

_"Did they... did they um..."_

_"They passed away in their sleep. It was very peaceful. They lived a full life, and knew you were happy."_

_She nodded biting her lip, looking at the ceiling trying to blink away the tears._

_"He had two sons and a daughter. They are all married and wealthy with children."_

_She smiled and wiped away a stray drop. "Good."_

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

_"We've asked you in for an important reason. As you know, the number one enemy of a reaper is a demon." She nodded and kept silent. "They interfere with the soul collecting, making it practically impossible for us to decide where their soul belongs. That's where you come in. Your reaper scythe is very important. It also works as a demon sword." She sucked in a sharp breath out of surprise, staring at him wide eyed. "It has only happened once before. This is why we need you. You will be assigned not just to your dispatch, but everywhere a demon is involved in a death. Do you accept?"_

_"... On my honor. As long as Grell can come along with me." Grell had been there for her since the beginning. No matter how much trouble they got in, they were always there for each other._

_The man groaned and rolled his eyes. "Very well. That flamboyant idiot can assist you in your work."_

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

**_January 16th, 1944_**

**_I killed my first demon today... It was a rush I've never felt before._**

**_I knew him._**

**_It was one of those purple haired triplets I once saw at the Trancy estate..._**

**_I felt powerful. Like I could do anything._**

**_I am no longer who I used to be. Now I am Ethel Beth Crevan. Death God. Demon hunter..._**

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

Her long curly strawberry blonde hair whipped in the wind, blowing across her face. The glasses that had worn golden roses with black thorns curling around the lenses complimented her golden doe eyes.

She was wearing a strapless off white corset with a two layered skirt that was higher in the front. In the folds of the skirt, two ingeniously placed pockets, invisible to even the trained eye, held the weapons that turned her from an angelic sight, to a ferocious beauty. The two beautiful swords, made so delicately as anyone other than her could not wield them.

Like her glasses, the woman had black thorns crawling up both her arms, one vine branching out and ending in an elegant swirling pattern-golden roses at the end of each stem-on her shoulder, the other sliding around her neck like a choker, also baring the flowers. Under the vines on her neck, a pendant was permanently trapped between her skin, and the thorns. It was a dark golden chain, with a simple blood red gem that fell right under the bodice.

She sat on the top of a building, the sound of car horns bellow as she swung her legs at the night sky.

"Two more minutes. You ready girly?"

She smirked and looked over at her partner. 'She' had changed dramatically since they first started working together. For one thing, 'she' was actually a she! Yeah, Grell had the surgery done. It was quite humorous. For one thing, Ethel happened to be sick, so she wasn't there with the at-the-time-him. So Grell being Grell, the first thing he did when he got home... He flashed her. And not just a little breast pop, no. He stated he was tired so went into his room while she was still on the couch reading. And then he came out screaming, "oh my who is that incredibly attractive female who now has the proper parts?! Oh, its me." And then she took her night gown off and started dancing around the apartment. Let's just say, the wall had never looked so interesting as of that moment. She only stared at it for three hours trying to get the image out of her head.

"When am I not ready?"

"Alright, get ready for a fight, its just down this alley..."

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

Demons may be fast, but she was faster. They may be cunning, but she was clever enough to outwit them every time.

The only thing she didn't excel in was strength. She was defiantly strong for a reaper woman; as anyone could notice the time she spends at the training center by her toned muscels. But a demon was a creature of instinct. What they lack in understanding and wits, they made up for in brute force.

She studied their habits for years, the patterns of the different species were child's play to her. She could name off the noble status of the demon kinds like the ABC's.

The demons monarchy was a complicated thing. The longer you lived as a demon, the higher your status in the underworld. And also, the more powerful they are.

The older demons never got caught feeding on innocent pray though. They were the ones that made contracts, and didn't have to feed for decades at a time.

If she wanted to kill the demons, she had to be fast. Instead of taunting them, she just simply slit their throat without a sound, weakening them, making them unable to call for help. Then she had to stab them through the heart. If it wasn't the heart, they came back to life.

"Grell, I'll take out the demons, while you deal with reaping the soul. We don't need any improvisation like last time."

"Oh you know you loved it!" Ever since Grell had gotten that sex change, she's been more leniant with her sexuality. As in, she's 'everyone's favorite local flasher'. That's right. She's the crazy lady in the neighborhood. She started giving the demons a strip tease.

"I almost died. Literally dying, I laughed so hard they caught me off guard and almost ripped my head off." She still loves her to bits though."Just... Don't. I get that we're not in Victorian times anymore and its socially acceptable to have half of your rear end showing, but that doesn't mean you should start bending over for no reason."

Grell just scoffed and looked over the edge into the alleyway bellow where the two demons seemed to have found a midnight snack.

"Let's hurry up. I really don't want overtime."

It's a reaper thing.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Cut! Sutcliff that was awful! You call that a performance?! I've seen IPads that look like they belong in the eighteen hundreds more than you! I'll say it again, women were not weak and quiet, they were strong, outspoken, and never backed down! They were meant to be good wives that could protect their husbands!" _

_Ethel glared daggers at the man who was giving a lecture on how women from the Victorian era were. "If I may, _sir_, women back then weren't strong. Some were fierce, yes, but they never showed it in front of their husbands. A woman's job was to be cute, surround themselves with nice things while their husband took care of them. If they showed too strong, people would start to talk down of the man, stating he was weak. It would dishonor them, often leading in beating the wife, or breaking up with them, causing a scandal. In all do _respect, sir,_ I believe you have no idea of anything involving the Victorian era. Now if you want a production with the cast playing abusive relationships, and spinsters, then by all means, go ahead!"_

_It was dead silent as me and the teacher had a stare off, except for one embarrassing, "Woo! That's my girlfriend!", from a random kid in the back who's name I have yet to learn. Finally he blinked, but pulled it off like he had done it on purpose. "Fine, you think you know how to run this play better than I do? Go ahead. But when it crashes and burns, it's on your head!"_

* * *

***~...**

* * *

"Why did I get myself into this again?"

"Because you don't know how to shut your pretty little face when someone does something you don't like."

"Oh yeah..."

The college campus was empty, as everyone had gone home for Christmas, except a few stragglers who had to do extra work. That would be one Grell Sutcliff, and an Ethel Crevan.

"Well if they call me in for work, I'm not doing overtime because I have to paint a gloomy London street. You can do that yourself."

"Hey, that idiot didn't know what he was talking about. Someone had to put him in his place!"

"Yeah yeah, I get it. You lived there as a woman, and didn't wear pants in public until nineteen-sixty-five. I remember, I was there when you 'couldn't take it anymore', and ripped the vest right off of some guy to cover your bell bottoms. Who could forget that? You were, after all, the one who started the hippie look. Until, you know, actual hippies stole it. Stupid pot heads needed to take a bath."

"One of my better moments in history. Fashion sure has changed hasn't it? These cursed wire contraptions that don't even do anything are supposed to replace corsets? What are they doing? It's like putting bread dough on a plate and baking it."

"You've been in the human world your whole life, you should learn how to adapt. Like me! Look at my booty shorts that are worn by the crazy tongue girl! I also have this hat on backwards like the Beaver child who thinks she is a man for some reason. My eyeliner looks like Key Dollar Ha's. I'm all around fabulous!"

"I don't want to Grell! Now they have swog and some acronym that spells yellow! I don't even know what that is!"

"Ask William, he seems to have a good adaptation of the twenty first century."

Shivers all around. Ethel Beth Crevan, better known as Bethany Cordel on the college administration roll, has seen many things. Freddie Mercury openly hitting on Grell, to Elvis Presley making a contract with a demon just for a fried banana and honey sandwich, but something she never thought she would see-or want to see for that matter-was William T. Spears twerking in public.

She put the paintbrush down and sighed, looking back at the wall. It looked exactly as she remembered it. The bustling side walks, the freezing beggars, the shops filled with confections surrounded by urchin boys who just pick pocketed an old man who couldn't run after them. It was like she was there...

* * *

***~...**

* * *

_"Come on! We're going to be late for the party!" She called to her maid, skipping across the frozen ground._

_"M'Lady! Please wait up! You might slip!"_

_"I'll be fine Pa- Woah!" Her foot fell from underneath her, twisting in an odd position as her head whacked against the cobblestone road._

_"Lady-!" The maid was drowned out by the sound of a carriage turning at a fast pace around the corner._

_Before the girl had time to react, her small body was trampled by the heavy hooves and wheels of the coach that didn't stop even for the fifteen year old girl who lay to die._

_Murmurer surrounded her, no doubt someone trying to catch a glimpse at the girl lying on the street, no doubt wanting to get some gossip for their next social gathering._

_This girl sure would give them something to talk about._

_"But... She's only a child!" She looked over at the man in a stark black suit carrying a small gardening tool. He was arguing with another man who looked nervous but determined._

_"We won't get to be full reapers if we don't pass the test."_

_"She's dying three weeks early! We only had a week to look at her!"_

_"That was enough. She isn't doing anything that would help the human race."_

_She blocked out their arguing, somehow knowing they were talking about her. She closed her eyes, feeling somewhat at peace, only opening them again when a hand touched her shoulder._

_A pale man with gray hair and a black top hat was grinning madly at her. He put a finger to his lips and that's all she saw before he covered her with his cloak and she blacked out._

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

"Beth... Beth!... Hey Ethel!" She looked up and gave Grell a sheepish smile. "Still dwelling in the past I see."

She gave a light laugh and continued painting. "It's hard when they didn't tell me how anyone ended up. Maybe my blood line died out, maybe that guy that tapped my butt the other day was my great grandson! They only told me when my brother and parents died. It's kind of unnerving."

"Hmm... Maybe that guy I was flirting with was my nephew!"

"You had a sibling when you were alive?"

"Yeah. My twin sister actually! She looked just like me. When she died, Will was really nice and let me visit her grave. Actually, I think that was the only time he's ever broken a rule."

"Too bad he's so stiff now. Except that time I walked in on him reading Twilight... and crying."

"... I knew he had a sensitive side! That just makes him even more attractive!"

"Right... Let's get out of here please, this wall is starting to give me hallucinations."

Grell put her magazine down-because heaven forbid she paint anything other than her nails-and threw her hands in the air. "Finally! How long does it take to paint a wall?"

"This is art! You can't just throw a bucket of black paint and macaroni noodles on it!"

"And why not? The 'artists' these days do things that consume much less time. A toddler could have done them!"

"And that, my friend, is why the ninteenth century, was better than this one."

They walked out of the auditorium together, failing to notice the splatters of red absentmindedly painted into the snow.

* * *

**_*~..._**

* * *

**_I really hope everyone likes this. I'm really excited with this piece, and I think it's going to be one of my bests. Reviews are wanted! I want to know what people think. Unless you absolutely hate it, and you're pretty much telling me I suck, because that's bullying, and I will not stand for it! You hear me William?! Just because the only things you like in the world is gardening and Twilight doesn't mean you can kill my book with flames!_**

**_Ciao!_**


End file.
